1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the general art of storage containers, and to the particular field of storage containers which serve multiple purposes.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Camping, canoeing, tailgating, hiking and the like are becoming ever more popular. Many people engaging in these activities enjoy bringing food along and picnicking. This requires a convenient container for, not only food, but for food preparation and serving utensils as well.
Accordingly, the container art has many examples of containers that can be used to store food in a manner that is convenient for being brought along on some of the above-mentioned activities.
However, most of the known containers are intended primarily for the single purpose of storing and transporting food. However, a problem with such food containers is their lack of storage areas suitable for storing utensils used to prepare and serve food. Such utensils are often merely thrown into the container in a haphazard manner. This often leads to omitting one or more utensils and/or having the utensils lost or unorganized, or even duplicating some utensils while omitting others.
Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food.
Still further, it is not always easy to find a convenient and comfortable place to serve and/or consume food during some of the above-mentioned activities. Often, people carry blankets or the like to sit on. This not only requires carrying extra gear, it may not be comfortable.
Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which is also suitable for serving food.
While the art does contain examples of portable storage and table devices, these devices are often inconvenient and cumbersome to set up and to knock down and generally have many interconnected parts. The many interconnected parts may not always smoothly co-operate with each other in the most efficient manner, and may even jam during set up or knock down, thereby complicating a procedure that should be as easy as possible. Still further, the many parts of some known containers may make the overall unit heavy and cumbersome.
Still further, many interconnected parts may make cleaning the overall unit difficult. Still further, many parts of the unit may take up space that otherwise could be used to store food and/or utensils.
Still further, many of the known storage units do not conveniently store utensils in the unit. This creates the possibility of omitting a needed utensil during the packing procedure.
Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which efficiently stores utensils between uses.
Still further, many known container units do not provide ready access to utensils stored in the unit when the unit is being used to support food. The unit must be completely emptied and repacked thereby creating the possibility that something will be unavailable when needed, or left behind.
Therefore, there is a need for a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which provides easy access to the storage area when the unit is being used to support food.
It is a main object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which is also suitable for serving food.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which also efficiently stores utensils between uses.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a container that is suitable for food storage and can also be conveniently used to store and organize utensils used to prepare and serve food and/or consume food and which provides easy access to the storage area when the unit is being used to support food.
These, and other, objects are achieved by a portable storage device and table that includes a main container unit and which has top containers that collapse into the main container unit for storage and which has a lid that doubles as a table in a use configuration. The parts of the device are arranged so that storage space is efficiently used and presented in the set up configuration for easy access.